Chapter Fourteen: Return to the Hotel

"One short."

The two of them had already fought their way to the school gates, and their upgrade crystals had reached nine.

"If we kill the dozen or so zombies at the entrance, that should be enough. After that, we’ll avoid the undead and hurry back."

They had to return to the hotel. There was a large stockpile of food there, carefully prepared by Fang Xia. It was a mistake to think that just because they had a lunchbox and a canteen, they were set for life. If luck wasn’t on their side and they kept missing the good supply drops, running out of food was a real possibility.

Besides, now there were two of them. With the supplies they currently had, at most they could last twenty days.

Most importantly, come nightfall, the zombies would grow much stronger. Fang Xia could still handle them, but even for him, it would be hard—especially with Bai Xing at his side, who was practically defenseless.

Under Fang Xia’s unleashed firepower, the dozen or so zombies at the gate were dispatched in mere minutes. Bai Xing immediately rushed forward to search the bodies for loot.

"Got it!"

She hit the jackpot on the very first try. Her luck was remarkable. Bringing her along had definitely been the right choice.

After searching six zombie corpses, Bai Xing unexpectedly found another crystal.

"Let’s go—back to the hotel."

They had accomplished far more than they’d hoped for today. Fang Xia was tired from killing so many zombies; all he wanted now was to collapse onto the hotel’s big bed and sleep.

After what had just happened with Yang Li, Bai Xing found herself harboring indescribable feelings for Fang Xia. She didn’t know how to voice them, so she simply followed quietly behind him, dutifully cleaning up the battlefield.

He just killed for me, she thought. We only just met today, and he avenged me by killing Yang Li, the person I hated most. How can I possibly repay such a debt? Should I run for my life at his side, or turn myself in with him?

Fang Xia was keenly aware of her inner turmoil.

This girl was still too kind-hearted. He didn’t know whether he should truly train her into a first-rate fighter. He felt a pang of pity—what harsh trials had she endured in her previous life to become one of the top ten experts?

A man and a woman walked silently onward, the man in front slicing down zombies with swift, practiced movements, heads rolling like balls across the ground. The woman followed, prying open each skull in search of something precious. They advanced in silence, speaking little.

The sunlight bathed them, as though they were part of a living painting.

There were far more zombies in the streets than there had been on campus, so they proceeded with great caution. Fang Xia killed with ruthless efficiency, leaving no undead behind, dreading that a moment’s carelessness would draw a horde.

He had a wealth of experience surviving the apocalypse and judged the zombies’ aggro range perfectly. Bai Xing, too, was now much more decisive; after overcoming her initial fear, she’d become adept at searching zombie heads for upgrade crystals.

After more than an hour, the two of them made their way safely back to the hotel.

"Fang, there seem to be zombies inside the hotel too," Bai Xing whispered.

They hid behind the large columns at the hotel entrance, observing the lobby. Apparently, someone had gone out for food last night and, in their panic when the undead arrived, ran back into the hotel—drawing zombies in, or perhaps even becoming one themselves.

"We have no choice. We must get back to our room before nightfall. Otherwise, we’ll be in grave danger. Stay close—I'm going in."

The hotel lobby was spacious. By a rough count, at least a dozen zombies were inside. But that was nothing Fang Xia couldn’t handle.

He drew another radiant warblade from his ring, gripping one weapon in each hand. This fight needed to be quick; if it dragged on, the noise might attract the zombie horde outside, which would be disastrous.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Xia charged into the lobby with both blades. The commotion immediately drew the zombies’ attention, and they howled as they rushed him.

He didn’t fully enter the hotel, but held his ground at the front doors, a lone guardian blocking the way. Fang Xia’s blades whirled an impenetrable defense, hacking down every zombie that tried to approach.

"Fang, the zombies outside seem to have noticed us," Bai Xing said nervously, keeping a wary eye on the horde’s movements.

"Come inside with me," Fang Xia ordered, stepping forward three paces to make room for her.

"Hurry, close the glass doors!"

Bai Xing rushed to the double doors and pushed them shut with all her might.

"Fang, they’re coming," she called, her voice trembling. The zombies outside were truly approaching. If they were surrounded, Fang Xia might survive, but she herself would certainly die.

"Are the doors shut?"

"They’re... they’re shut!"

Though frightened, Bai Xing carried out her task with serious focus.

"Hold the door—quick!"

She braced her back hard against the glass as the zombies began pounding and clawing from the outside.

"I can’t hold it!"

The force was overwhelming for her small frame. Suddenly, she felt herself being pressed firmly from the front—Fang Xia’s back was shielding her.

Oh no, she thought, the panda on my chest is about to get squashed.

Fang Xia was both exasperated and amused by her thoughts. It wasn’t as if he was leaning on her by choice; he was simply trying to protect her. If the two of them braced the doors side by side, he couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get hurt by zombies from inside.

"Hold on, just a little longer."

With another flurry of slashes, Fang Xia dispatched the last zombie in the hall.

He turned, pressing his hands firmly against the glass doors to prevent the outside zombies from breaking in.

"Fang, what do we do?" Bai Xing asked. They couldn’t hold the doors forever; exhaustion would claim them sooner or later.

"See that small door over there? That’s the stairwell."

"I see it," Bai Xing replied, uncertain what he meant.

"That door can be locked from the inside. I can’t hold out much longer here. You go first—lock one side, leave the other half open for me. The moment I get there, shut it behind me."

He left something unsaid: even if the zombies all broke in, he was confident he could escape. This was Bai Xing’s final test.

"Don’t worry, Fang. I’ll wait for you at the door. You must come," she promised, hesitating only a second.

She was no help here, needing protection from Fang Xia. Just hours earlier, she’d vowed not to be a burden, but she’d already gone back on her word.

She sprinted to the stairwell. Just as Fang Xia said, the door could indeed be locked. She shut and bolted one half, then ran out to give him an OK sign.

Counting down from three, Fang Xia suddenly let go of the doors and dashed for the stairs.

A second later, the glass doors burst open and the zombies surged in. But Fang Xia’s extraordinary physique propelled him to the stairwell in a flash.

Bai Xing waited anxiously, heart pounding, unsure if the next to enter would be Fang Xia or the undead—but she did not close the door, no matter what.